Poker Game Enabling Replacement of Discrete Card Characteristics

ABSTRACT

Techniques involving the enhancement of hand results in poker games involving a draw. One representative method includes presenting a hand(s) of cards, where each of the cards has at least a card value and a card suit. A player may identify the card values and card suits in which to hold in each of the cards. The card values and card suits are replaced for any of the card values/suits that are not held, and a resulting hand(s) that includes the held and replaced card values and card suits is provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to card games, and more particularlyto facilitating enhanced hand results in poker games.

BACKGROUND

Card games such as poker have long been enjoyed as a means ofentertainment. While cardroom poker continues to captivate casinopatrons, electronic forms of poker have opened new doors for gamingenthusiasts. Electronic forms include, for example, video poker playedon “slot machines” or other gaming kiosks, online computer-based poker,and the like.

While the underlying poker games provided by electronic poker/gamingmachines are enjoyable, continued play of the same poker or other cardgame can become mundane over long periods of play. It is desirable toprovide new capabilities in poker games to hold players' interest ingames such as poker.

SUMMARY

Techniques involving the enhancement of hand results in poker gamesinvolving a draw are disclosed.

In accordance with one embodiment, a method includes presenting a handof cards, where each of the cards has at least a card value and a cardsuit. In some embodiments, the cards may have one or more additional ordifferent card characteristics than a card value and a card suit. Theexemplary method includes enabling a player to identify the card valuesand card suits in which to hold in each of the cards. In one embodiment,such identification may result in the player holding cardcharacteristics ranging from no card values or card suits to all cardvalues and card suits. In the exemplary method, the card values for anyof the card values that are not held are replaced, and the card suitsfor any of the card suits that are not held are replaced. A resultinghand that includes the held and replaced card values and card suits ispresented.

In one particular variation, such a method may further includepresenting a plurality of the hands, where each of the cards in each ofthe plurality of the hands has a card value and a card suit. In such avariation, facilitating player identification of the card values and/orcard suits includes enabling the player to identify the card valuesand/or card suits to hold in each of the cards of the plurality ofhands; replacing the card values and/or suits for any of the card valuesand/or suits not held in each of the cards of each of the plurality ofhands; and presenting a plurality of the resulting hands, each of whichincludes the held and replaced card values and card suits for therespective resulting hand.

In another particular embodiment of such a method, facilitating playeridentification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold inthe hand of cards involves enabling user selection of the card valuesand the card suits in which to retain and not replace. In an alternativeembodiment, facilitating player identification of the card values andthe card suits in which to hold in the hand of cards involves enablinguser selection of the card values and the card suits in which to replaceand not retain.

In another representative variation, presenting a hand involvespresenting an initial number of cards greater than five cards, andpresenting the resulting hand using five of the cards of the initialnumber of cards that create the highest poker rank after the replacementany of the card values and card suits.

Another representative embodiment of such a method includes replacingthe card values for any of the card values not held and replacing thecard suits for any of the card suits not held while disallowingduplicate resulting cards in the resulting hand. Other embodiments allowduplicate resulting cards in the resulting hand as a result of thereplacement.

In another embodiment, such a method may further include determiningwhether the presented hand meets at least one defined criteria, andenabling the player to identify the card values and the card suits inwhich to hold in response to the presented hand meeting the definedcriteria.

In another embodiment of the exemplary method, facilitating playeridentification involves determining, based on defined play rules, whichof the card values and card suits to hold on behalf of the user.

In yet another embodiment, such a method further involves providing apaytable of poker ranks, and providing a payout for the resulting handbased on which of the poker ranks in the paytable correspond to theresulting hand.

In accordance with another representative embodiment, an apparatus isprovided that includes at least a display, a user interface and aprocessing module. In one embodiment, the display is configured topresent at least one initial hand of a plurality of cards, where each ofthe cards has a card value and a card suit; the user interface isconfigured to facilitate player designation of the card values and thecard suits in which to retain for each of the plurality of cards in theinitial hand(s); and a processor is configured to provide replacementcard values and replacement card suits for any of the card values andcard suits that are not retained. In the representative embodiment, thedisplay is further configured to present at least one resulting hand foreach of initial hand(s) that includes the retained card values, theretained card suits, the replacement card values and the replacementcard suits.

In another embodiment of the exemplary apparatus, the user interfaceincludes a touch screen configured to facilitate player designation ofthe card values and the card suits in which to retain by touching thedisplay proximate the card values and the card suits in which to retain.In another embodiment, the user interface includes a touch screenconfigured to facilitate player designation of the card values and thecard suits in which to retain by touching the display proximate the cardvalues and the card suits that are to be replaced.

In another embodiment of the exemplary apparatus, the processor isfurther configured to replicate the retained card values and retainedcard suits into one or more additional hands presented on the display,and to additionally replace the card values and the card suits for cardsof the additional one or more additional hands presented on the display.In such an embodiment, the display may further be configured to presenta plurality of resulting hands corresponding to the initial hand(s) andthe one or more additional hands, where the cards in each of theplurality of resulting hands includes the retained and replaced cardvalues and card suits.

In another embodiment of the exemplary apparatus, the display isconfigured to present the initial hand(s) having an initial number ofcards greater than five, and the processor is further configured toidentify the resulting hand(s) using five of the cards of the initialnumber of cards that yield a highest poker rank attainable on a paytableafter replacement of any of the card values and card suits.

In another embodiment of the exemplary apparatus, the processor isconfigured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suitsfor any of the card values and card suits that are not retained byproviding resulting cards that conform to a standard fifty-two cardvirtual deck of cards without duplication. In another embodiment, theprocessor is configured to provide replacement card values andreplacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits thatare not retained by providing resulting cards that conform to cards of astandard fifty-two card virtual deck of cards while allowing duplicationof the resulting cards.

In another embodiment of the exemplary apparatus, the processor isfurther configured to determine whether the initial hand(s) meets atleast one defined criteria, and to enable the user interface tofacilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits inwhich to retain for each of the plurality of cards in the initialhand(s) in response to the initial hand meeting the defined criteria.

In another embodiment of the exemplary apparatus, the processor isfurther configured to utilize play rules to determine which of the cardvalues and card suits to automatically retain on behalf of the player.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a method includespresenting an initial hand of cards having a plurality of cards on adisplay, where each of the cards has a card value and a card suit. Theexemplary method further includes facilitating user identification ofthe card values and the card suits in which to hold in the initial handof cards; replicating the held card values and held card suits into oneor more additional hands presented on the display; replacing the cardvalues for any of the card values and card suits that are not held forthe initial hand and the one or more additional hands; and presentingvia the display resulting hands of the cards corresponding to theinitial hand and each of the one or more additional hands, wherein thecards in each of the resulting hands includes the held and replaced cardvalues and card suits.

In a variation of such a method, replacing the card values and the cardsuits involves replacing the card values and the card suits for eachcorresponding card in the hand and in each of the one or more additionalhands with like card values and card suits. In another embodiment,replacing the card values and the card suits involves replacing the cardvalues and the card suits for each corresponding card in the hand and ineach of the one or more additional hands with different card values andcard suits.

These and other representative concepts and features are furtherdescribed in the Detailed Description. The features noted in thisSummary are not intended to suggest essential features, nor is theclaimed subject matter intended to be limited by the representativeSummary provided herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description herein refers to embodiments illustrated in thefollowing diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment for facilitatingselective draws of individual card characteristics in a poker context;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are flow diagrams illustrating representative techniquesfor providing a draw capability to discrete card characteristics;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are flow diagrams depicting representative manners inwhich a player, or automated system, may hold and replace card valuesand/or suits to arrive at a resulting hand(s);

FIG. 6 depicts a representative video poker environment in which theprinciples described herein may be employed;

FIGS. 7, 8A and 8B illustrate representative examples of poker gameenabling individual card characteristics to be held/discarded;

FIG. 9 illustrates a representative embodiment of a casino-style gamingdevice in which the principles described herein may be applied;

FIG. 10 depicts a representative multi-hand poker game that enablesindividual card characteristics to be selected and replicated from atleast one hand to at least one other hand; and

FIG. 11 depicts a representative computing system capable of carryingout operations and features in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings which form a part hereof, and which depict representativeimplementation examples. It is to be understood that other embodimentsand implementations may be utilized, as structural and/or operationalchanges may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Generally, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided for enhancingresult possibilities in poker games. For example, result possibilitiesmay be enhanced by providing a draw capability to discrete cardcharacteristics in one or more poker hands.

In one representative embodiment, a hand(s) of cards is presented, whereeach of the cards includes a plurality of card characteristics, such asa card value and a card suit. The player may designate, and/or thesystem may automatically designate, card values and/or card suits inwhich to hold in each of one or more of the cards. The card values forany of the card values that are not held are replaced, and the cardsuits for any of the card suits that are not held are replaced. Aresulting hand that includes the held and replaced card values and cardsuits is presented. In such a manner, the player can obtain apotentially greater chance to enhance his/her hand(s) by selectivelyreplacing card values and/or card suits in one or more of the cards ofthe hand(s).

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment for facilitatingselective draws of individual card characteristics in a poker context.

In the illustrated embodiment, a poker event or “hand” 100 of apoker/card game is depicted, which includes providing an initial hand102 including a number of initial cards A_(I), B_(I), C_(I) or anynumber of cards represented by card N_(I). While multiple hands 100 maybe concurrently played, the example of FIG. 1 assumes a single hand 100is played for purposes of description. The cards A_(I)-N_(I) may bepresented to the player, such as by dealing cards, presenting virtualcards electronically, or the like. The initial hand 102 may be dealt bya dealer in a live table version of the card game, or by a virtualdealer in electronic embodiments.

The dealt cards A_(I)-N_(I) in the representative hand 102 includemultiple card characteristics, such as card “rank” or value “V” and thecard suit “S.” For example, the card A_(I) includes an initial valueV-A_(I) and an initial suit S-A_(I). The initial value V-A_(I) for cardA_(I) may be, for example, an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight,Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three or Two when a standard deck or standardvirtual deck of cards is used. Thus, in such an embodiment, the value“V” represents a rank of the card. The initial suit S-A_(I) for cardA_(I) may be, for example, a Diamond, Heart, Club or Spade when astandard deck or standard virtual deck of cards is used. Thus, in suchan embodiment, the suit “S” represents a suit of the card. Other values,suits, and/or other characteristics may alternatively be used.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the initial cards A_(I)-N_(I)includes both a value and suit as shown. Particularly, card A_(I)includes an initial value V-A_(I) and an initial suit S-A_(I), cardB_(I) includes an initial value V-B_(I) and an initial suit S-B_(I),card C_(I) includes an initial value V-C_(I) and an initial suitS-C_(I), and so forth through some indeterminate number of cards N_(I)which includes V-N_(I) and S-N_(I). While any number of initial cardsA_(I)-N_(I) may be used depending on the game rules, one embodimentinvolves dealing five initial cards A_(I)-N_(I).

In accordance with one embodiment, none, either or both of the cardcharacteristics V, S may be held or discarded after the initial hand 102is presented. For example, the value V-A_(I) of card A_(I) may beselectively “held” 104 without holding the suit S-A_(I). Thus, the suitS-A_(I) of card A_(I) that was not held may be replaced. The resultingcard A_(R) in the resulting hand 120 includes the value V-A_(R) and suitS-A_(R) that result from the holding/discarding 104 and ultimatereplacing of the values/suits V-A_(I), S-A_(I) of card A_(I). Continuingwith the example that V-A_(I) is held and S-A_(I) is not held (i.e.S-A_(I) is discarded), then the resulting value V-A_(R) of the resultingcard A_(R) is the same as its corresponding initial card value V-A_(I)(i.e., V-A_(R)=V-A₁), but the resulting suit S-A_(R) of the resultingcard A_(R) is a replacement suit and thus is not the same as the initialcard suit S-A_(I) (i.e., S-A_(R)≠S-A₁). In one embodiment, suchselective holding/discarding 104, 106, 108, 110 is allowed for each ofthe values V and suits S of the initial cards A_(I), B_(I), C_(I),N_(I), thereby providing corresponding resulting cards A_(R), B_(R),C_(R), N_(R) in the resulting hand 120. In this manner, individual cardcharacteristics, such as card value and card rank, may be held ordiscarded. For those card characteristics that are discarded,replacement values/suits are provided to establish the resulting cardsA_(R), B_(R), C_(R), N_(R) of the resulting hand 120. As described ingreater detail below, some embodiments may enable identification of alimited or lesser number of card characteristics to hold/discard, or alimited or lesser number of cards in which card characteristics may beindividually held or discarded.

FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of a technique for enhancing resulting handsthrough selective retention of discrete card characteristics. In theembodiment of FIG. 2, card values and card suits represent the cardcharacteristics that may be held, or discarded to obtain replacementcharacteristics. A hand(s) of cards is presented 200. For each of thecards, holding or discarding of the card value, the card suit, or boththe card value and card suit is enabled as shown at block 202. Whileboth the card value and suit may be held, the embodiment of FIG. 2allows the player to, if he/she chooses, to hold or discard either orboth of the card value and card suit. Such holding/discarding may bespecified by the player, such as via a user interface in an electronicembodiment. Alternatively, the decision to hold or discard values/suitsmay be automatically performed on behalf of the player by a processor orother circuit configured to determine which card values/suits should beheld and which should be discarded. Such an automatic decision may bebased on programmed poker hand analyses, such as to provide the playerwith the chance to obtain the highest payout, or the most likely payout,etc. While the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 depicts such a decisionmay be made for each of the cards, other embodiments involve enablingsuch a decision for some subset of the cards.

For card values and/or suits that are not held and thus are discarded,the corresponding card value, card suit, or both the card value and cardsuit are replaced 204. For example, assume one of the initial cards is aTen of Spades. The player may opt to hold only the suit (i.e. Spade)such that the value (Ten) is discarded. A replacement value is providedto replace the Ten value, but the suit of Spades is retained in thefinal version of the card. The resulting card may be, for example, aKing of Spades or any other card value of Spades.

In one embodiment, the discarded value (e.g., Ten) is included in theset of replacement values, such that the player could theoreticallyreceive a replacement value that corresponds to the particular valuethat was discarded. In another embodiment, the discarded value is notincluded in the set of replacement values, such that the player will notreceive a replacement value that is the same particular one that wasdiscarded. In another embodiment, the player may received the discardedvalue as a replacement value, but only if there are other such valuesavailable in the set of available values. For example, assuming astandard card deck, there are four of each poker value (e.g., four Aces,four Twos, four Tens, etc.). If only one Ten is dealt in the hand, andthe player chooses to discard the Ten, one embodiment allows any of theremaining three Ten values to be provided as a replacement, but not theparticular Ten value that was discarded.

In one embodiment, the discarded suit (e.g., Spades) is included in theset of replacement values, such that the player could theoreticallyreceive a replacement suit that is the same as the suit that wasdiscarded. In another embodiment, the player will not receive areplacement suit that is the same as the discarded suit. In anotherexample, the player may received the discarded suit as a replacementsuit, but only if there are other such suits available in the set ofavailable suits. For example, assuming a standard card deck, there arethirteen cards of each suit (e.g., thirteen Spades, thirteen Hearts,etc.). If two Spades were dealt in the hand, and the player chooses todiscard one of the Spades, one embodiment allows any of the remainingeleven Spades to be provided as a replacement.

In some embodiments, what is available to be provided as a replacementvalue or suit depends on which value/suit pairs, e.g., cards, have beenpresented. For example, one embodiment allows a card with a particularvalue and suit to be held, and allows that same value/suit combinationto be presented in another card in which any value and/or suitreplacement occurs. Such an embodiment therefore allows for duplicatecards in the resulting hand. In another embodiment, duplicate cards areprohibited, such that no value/suit combination in one card will matchanother value/suit combination in a card of the resulting hand.

FIG. 2B is a flow diagram of another technique for enhancing resultinghands through selective retention of discrete card characteristics. Atleast one hand of cards is presented 210. The embodiment of FIG. 2Ballows the user to identify 212 the card value(s) and/or card suit(s) inwhich to hold in any of the cards of the hand. For example, a userinterface may be provided 212A to enable the player to specify cardvalue(s)/suit(s) to hold for each card, and/or a user interface may beprovided 212B to enable the player to specify card value(s)/suit(s) toreplace in each card. Allowing the player to identify 212 which of thecards values/suits to hold may be accomplished in an electronicembodiment by providing one or more user interface mechanisms, such asbuttons, touch screen, voice input, joystick, and/or any other manner offacilitating user designation of one or more of the presented cardvalues/suits to hold.

It should be recognized that specifying which cards to “hold” alsosuggests which cards will be discarded; i.e. those that are notspecified to be held are discarded. Therefore, in an embodiment wherecard values and suits represent the card characteristics, unlessotherwise noted references to selecting card values and/or suits inwhich to “hold” includes identifying those values/suits by explicitidentification of the values/suits to hold, or by implicitidentification of the values/suits by identifying those that are to bediscarded. Analogously, unless otherwise noted, references to selectingcard values and/or suits in which to “discard” includes identifyingthose values/suits by explicit identification of the values/suits todiscard, or by implicit identification of the values/suits byidentifying those that are to be held.

In response to the user's identification 212 of which card values and/orsuits to replace in any of the cards, the respective card values and/orcard suits are replaced 214. A resulting hand that includes the held andreplaced card values and suits may be presented 216.

Other embodiments involve an apparatus configured to enhance resultinghands through selective retention of discrete card characteristics. Forexample, a display may be configured to present the hand(s) of cards,and a user interface may be provided to enable the user to identify thecard values/suits in which to hold. A processing module may beconfigured to replace the card values and/or card suits for any of thecard values/suits not held, such that the display can present theresulting hand including those held and replaced card values/suits.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a representative manner in which aplayer, or automated system, may hold and replace card values and suitsto arrive at a resulting hand. One or more hands of cards are dealt 300.In one embodiment, one hand of cards, such as five cards, is dealt forconsideration by the player. In other embodiments, multiple hands may bedealt 300, whereby the player is allowed to make hold/discard decisionsfor the card values and suits in each of the concurrently-played hands.Other embodiments involve dealing 300 one hand, and replicating thosecard values/suits that are held into one or more other concurrentlyplayed hands, thereby allowing card value/suit replacement in eachinstance where the value/suit was not held or replicated.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a replaceable card value and replaceablecard suit is presented 302 for each card in the one or more concurrentlyplayed hand(s). A first hand includes initial card-I_(INITIAL) 304,initial card-2 _(INITIAL) 306, initial card-3 _(INITIAL) 308, initialcard-4 _(INITIAL) 310 and initial card-5 _(INITIAL) 312. For each of thecards, the player is allowed to specify whether the value and/or suitpresented for that card is to be held or replaced. For example, if it isdecided to hold 314 the value and hold 315 the suit of card-1 _(INITIAL)304, then the corresponding resulting card-1 _(RESULT) 330 of theresulting hand 328 will retain the value and suit of the original card-1_(INITIAL) 304. On the other hand, if either or both of the value andsuit are not held 314, 315, then a replacement value and/or suit isobtained 326. Such a decision is made for each of the initial cards 304,306, 308, 310, 312 as noted by the decision blocks 314-323, ultimatelyproviding the resulting hand 328 including resulting cards 330, 332,334, 336, 338.

If there is another hand 340 to consider (i.e. a multiple handembodiment), then decisions 314-323 may be made for the cards 304-312 ofthe additional hand(s) to produce corresponding resulting hands 328.When the resulting hand(s) 328 have been identified, results can becalculated 342 to determine whether the hand(s) results in a payout asdetermined from a paytable of winning poker hands.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting another representative manner inwhich a player, or automated system, may hold and replace card valuesand suits to arrive at a resulting hand. In this embodiment, card valuesand/or suits that are discarded may be replaced prior to decisions tohold/discard card values and/or suits from the other cards in the handthat have not yet been considered. Similarly to that of FIG. 3, one ormore hands are dealt 400, and replaceable card values and suits arepresented 402 for each card 404, 406, 408, 410, 412. In one embodiment,any card such as _(card-INITIAL) 404 may be considered for card valueand/or suit replacement. It is determined 414, 415 whether to hold thevalue and/or suit for that card 404, replacements are obtained 416 ifnecessary, and a resulting card-1 _(RESULT) 417 is provided. The resultof this card-1 _(RESULT) 417 may influence the decision 420, 421 whetheror not to hold the value and/or suit of a next card, such as card-2_(INITIAL) 406. Replacements are obtained 422 if necessary, and aresulting card-2 _(RESULT) 423 is provided. Again, the result of thiscard-2 _(RESULT) 423 may influence the decision 426, 427 whether or notto hold the value and/or suit of a next card, such as card-3 _(INITIAL)408. For example, if the resulting cards 417, 423 are both Hearts, andthe initial cards 410, 412 are also Hearts, the player may choose 427 todiscard a non-Heart suit for card-3 _(INITIAL) 408 in the hopes ofultimately drawing to a flush in the resulting hand 445. Replacementsare obtained 428 if necessary and card-3 _(RESULT) 429 is provided.Similar decisions 432, 433 and possible replacement 434 occurs forcard-4 _(INITIAL) 410 to provide resulting card-4 _(RESULT) 435, as wellas decisions 438, 439 and possible replacement 440 for card-5 _(INITIAL)412 to provide resulting card-5 _(RESULT) 441. Results 448 arecalculated for the resulting hand 445 and any other resulting handsoccurring if other initial hands are dealt as depicted at decision block450.

Thus, the embodiment of FIG. 4 provides replacement card values/suits ascard values/suits are discarded, thereby providing the player withmid-hand decisions as the state of the resulting hand 445 incrementallychanges.

Various alternative embodiments may be used in connection with thetechniques described herein. Some representative alternative embodimentsare described in connection with FIG. 5. For example, one or moreinitial hands of cards may be presented 500, where different numbers ofinitial cards may be dealt. In one embodiment, the initial cards dealtis five 500A. This embodiment may provide five initial cards in whichcard values and/or card suits may be subject to a draw. Anotherembodiment involves dealing more than five cards, as shown at block500B. In such an embodiment, card values and/or card suits for greaterthan five cards may be subject to a draw, but only a subset of the totalnumber of cards initially dealt are used to create the resulting hand.For example, if seven cards are initially dealt, card values and/or cardsuits may be selectively held/discarded for each of the seven cards,while five of the resulting seven cards may be used to create the bestfive-card resulting hand.

In another embodiment, less than the number of cards used in theresulting hand may initially be dealt as depicted at block 500C. Forexample, three cards may initially be dealt, where card values and/orcard suits may be selectively held/discarded for each of these threecards. An additional two cards having no selectable card values and/orcard suits may then be provided to complete the resulting hand. In thismanner, a subset of the total cards are available for card value/suitreplacement, while another subset of the cards are not.

When the initial cards have been presented, card values and suits tohold in the hand(s) of cards are identified 502. In one embodiment, allcards 502A are provided with the opportunity to hold or discard cardvalues and/or suits. In another embodiment, only a subset of the cards502B are available for card value and/or suit replacement. In yetanother embodiment depicted at block 502C, one or more cards may bepresented that afford the player the opportunity to select only a subsetof the card characteristics for replacement. For example, some cards mayonly allow the suit to be held or discarded, some cards may only allowthe rank to be held or discarded, while other cards may allow both thesuit and rank to be held or discarded.

Thus, some embodiments may not provide the option of selecting both thecard value and/or card suit for every card of every played hand. In oneembodiment, the occurrence of cards that enable card value and/or cardsuit to be individually held/discarded is purely random. In otherinstances, it is random but weighted in the sense that the likelihood ofone or more cards providing such options is somewhat controllable oradjustable. The term “random” is used herein regardless of the level ofrandomness used; e.g., “random” is used whether purely random orweighted-random. Thus, cards exhibiting the ability to individually holdor discard card value and/or card suit may or may not be provided inconnection for every dealt card. In some embodiments, more than one, andup to all of the dealt cards may enable individual selection of cardvalues and/or card suits to hold. For example, where five cards aredealt, one card may be a normal card with no card value/suit selectionopportunity, while others may provide the ability to hold either or boththe card value and card suit.

The individual card characteristic selection features may be an integralpart of the poker game, or may be selectively activated. For example,the frequency of such opportunities may be dependent on wageringfactors, such as how much was wagered, whether the maximum credits areplayed, etc. In one embodiment, the feature is activated when a side betis placed, or other monetary amount is paid to activate the feature.Still other factors may be used, such as a number of consecutive playswithout a payout, a number of consecutive plays with a payout, number ofconsecutively played hands, etc. These and other manners of invoking thefeatures described herein may be implemented.

Other alternative embodiments may involve criteria-based opportunities502D. In one embodiment, the ability to hold/discard card values andcard suits may be presented when a certain condition(s) is met. Forexample, the opportunity may be presented when the initially dealt handmeets a threshold to reach a particular resulting hand. One example isto present the ability to hold/discard card values and card suits foreach of the cards of the initial hand when the initial hand is one, ortwo cards from reaching a flush. More particularly, if three of fiveinitially dealt cards are one suit such as Hearts, each of the cards maybe presented with the opportunity to hold/discard card suits, or boththe card values and card suits. Another example is where the option toindividually hold/discard card values/suits is presented where theinitial hand can theoretically reach a straight flush if the appropriatereplacement card values and/or card suits are drawn.

Still other alternatives involve the manner in which the cardcharacteristics may be identified for holding or discarding. In oneembodiment, the player selects the card characteristics in which to holdor discard. For example, the player may select the card values and/orcard suits in various cards using a user interface, such as buttons,touch screen, voice command, joystick, etc. In another embodiment, anassisted identification feature 502F is employed, which automaticallyholds card values and/or card suits for the player. Programmed rules maybe consulted by a processor or other controller to automaticallydetermine which card values/suits, if any, to hold on the player'sbehalf. For example, the processor or other control mechanism maydetermine which card values/suits to hold based on which resulting cardshave the highest probability of providing a resulting hand(s) with thehighest poker rank. This, or any other desired criteria, may be used toautomatically hold cards. Such an auto-hold feature may be mandatory insome embodiments, or may be a selectable feature available to the playerin other embodiments. In yet other embodiments, such as that describedabove, the player is allowed to specify which card values and suits, ifany, to hold.

The card values and/or card suits for any of the discarded cardvalues/suits are replaced 504. As previously noted, the replacement cardvalues/suits may be provided such that duplicate cards are allowed 504A,or such that the resulting cards correspond to cards of a standard deckwithout duplicates 504B.

A resulting hand(s) is presented 506, which includes cards having theheld and replaced card values and card suits. In one embodiment, theresulting hand has the same number of cards as the initial hand asdepicted at block 506A. In another embodiment, such as where the initialhand presents X cards greater than five 500B, the resulting hand usesthe best five of the X cards as shown at block 506B. Where the initialhand includes fewer than five cards 500C, one or more cards may be addedto reach a five-card resulting hand as shown at block 506C. It should benoted that a five card resulting hand is assumed in these examples, butother poker games may utilize more or fewer cards in the resulting hand.

The resulting hand(s) is provided when the replacements of card valuesand/or card suits have been made, and a payout(s) may be provided 508for any resulting hands meeting defined payout criteria. For example,the resulting hand(s) may be compared 508A against a paytable that listsa plurality of resulting hand poker ranks in which a payout will beprovided. In other embodiments, the payout may be adjusted 508B based onthe extent to which replacement card values and card suits were needed.For example, a higher payout may be provided for a resulting hand of astraight flush if only one card suit was replaced than for a straightflush where multiple card values and/or card suits were replaced.

The operational and structural features described herein may be used inconnection with numerous poker-related card games involving a draw. Anexemplary use case is now described in connection with a draw poker gameshown in FIG. 6.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, a paytable 600 is provided that includesnumerous poker rank thresholds in which a payout is provided, as well asdifferent payouts depending on the amount wagered by the player. Forexample, assuming increasing wagers from bet-1 602 to bet-5 610, thepayout amount increases for each given poker rank threshold (e.g., royalflush, straight flush, etc.). As a more specific example, if the playerwagered three credits (BET 3 606) and obtained a full house, the playerwould win twenty-seven credits. As noted above, the features describedherein may be integral to all gaming activity, or may be triggered upona wagering or other event such as by wagering the maximum of fivecredits. However, for purposes of the example of FIG. 6, it is assumedthat the feature is integral to the game and available at all timesduring play.

The example of FIG. 6 assumes a draw poker embodiment where five cards612, 614, 616, 618, 620 are dealt in an initial hand 622. Theillustrated embodiment is an electronic embodiment played on a videopoker machine or other computer-implemented apparatus, and therefore itis assumed the cards 612, 614, 616, 618, 620 are “dealt” by presentingthe cards via a display screen. The cards may be dealt face down andthen turned face up, or may be initially dealt face up.

In one embodiment, multiple hands are initially presented, as depictedby the one or more other hands 624. For example, multiple hands 622through 624 may initially be dealt, and the card values and card suitsin each card of each hand 622, 624 may be held, or discarded to obtainreplacement card values/suits. In another embodiment, an initial hand622 may be presented, and upon holding card values and card suits inthat hand 622, those held card values and card suits are replicated intoone or more additional hands 624. In these and other multi-handembodiments, card values and card suits that are not held will bereplaced to ultimately provide respective resulting hands from theinitial hands.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment where a single initial hand 700A ispresented for play, although the principles described are equallyapplicable to multiple hands. Like reference numbers are used in FIG. 7in the various stages of play where applicable.

A hand 700A of five cards 701, 702, 703, 704, 705 is presented in theillustrated embodiment, although other numbers of cards could bepresented. The hand may initially be presented face down, or face up asshown at hand 700B. The example shows that the five cards 701-705 ofhand 700B include card 701 which is the Two of Spades, as noted by theTwo value 711 and the Spade suit 716. Similarly, card 702 of hand 700Bincludes the Three 712 of Spades 717, card 703 includes the Four 713 ofSpades 718, card 704 includes the Five 714 of Spades 719, and card 705includes the Six 715 of Hearts 720. In accordance with one embodiment,as few as none, and as many as all of the card values 711-715 and cardsuits 716-720 may be identified for discarding and replacement. In otherembodiments, there may be a limit based on established rules of play asto how many card characteristics may be held.

Referring to hand state 700C, it can be seen that various cardcharacteristics have been held. Particularly, the card values Two 711,Three 712, Four 713, Five 714 and Six 715 of the respective cards701-705 have been held. These held cards are depicted as highlighted inFIG. 7. Additionally, card suits 716, 717, 718 and 719 of the respectivecards 701-704 have been held. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, onlysuit 720 of card 705 has been identified for discarding and replacement.It should be noted that whether cards are identified to hold, or whethercards are identified to discard, is not relevant as the result ofreplacing the discarded or non-held cards is the same. As can be seen,the player can “hold” the straight including the Two 711, Three 712,Four 713, Five 714 and Six 715, and hold four Spades 716, 717, 718, 719,while discarding the Heart 720 in the hopes of drawing to a straightflush.

Hand state 700D shows the cards 701-705 after the discarded cardcharacteristic (Heart 720) has been replaced. As can be seen, thereplacement suit is a Spade 721, which provides a resulting hand 700D ofa straight flush. Thus, the embodiment of FIG. 7 involves a five-cardinitial hand of draw poker where the player receives a straight on thedeal, and is four cards to a straight flush. The feature of enablingselective holding/discarding of discrete card characteristics enablesthe player to lock up the straight, while still drawing to a possiblestraight flush.

Other representative examples are provided in FIGS. 8A and 8B to furtherillustrate the features described herein. FIG. 8A again illustrates anembodiment where one initial hand 800A is presented for play, althoughthe principles described are equally applicable to multiple hands. Likereference numbers are used in FIG. 8A in the various stages of playwhere applicable.

A hand 800A of five cards 801, 802, 803, 804, 805 is presented in theillustrated embodiment, although other numbers of cards could bepresented. The example shows that the five cards 801-805 of hand 800Ainclude card 801 which is the Ten of Hearts, as noted by the Ten value811 and the Heart suit 816. Similarly, card 802 of hand 800A includesthe Jack 812 of Hearts 817, card 803 includes the Queen 813 of Hearts818, card 804 includes the King 814 of Hearts 819, and card 805 includesthe Eight 815 of Hearts 820.

Referring to hand state 800B, it can be seen that various cardcharacteristics have been held. Particularly, the card values Ten 811,Jack 812, Queen 813 and King 814 of the respective cards 801-804 havebeen held. The held cards are depicted as highlighted in FIG. 8A.Additionally, card suits 816, 817, 818, 819 and 820 of the respectivecards 801-805 have been held. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, onlycard value 815 of card 805 has been identified for discarding andreplacement. As can be seen, the player can “hold” the flush includingthe Hearts 816-820, and hold the Ten 811, Jack 812, Queen 813 and King814, while discarding the Eight 815 in the hopes of drawing to a royalflush.

Hand state 800C shows the cards 801-805 after the discarded cardcharacteristic (Eight 815) has been replaced. As can be seen, thereplacement value is an Ace 821, which provides a resulting hand 800C ofa royal flush. Thus, the embodiment of FIG. 8A involves a five-cardinitial hand of draw poker where the player receives a flush on thedeal, and is four cards to a royal flush. The feature of enablingselective holding/discarding of discrete card characteristics enablesthe player to lock up the flush, while still drawing to a possible royalflush.

FIG. 8B illustrates another example where the feature is used to givethe player a better opportunity to achieve one of multiple possibleoutcomes. FIG. 8B again illustrates an embodiment where one initial hand850A is presented for play, although the principles described areequally applicable to multiple hands. Like reference numbers are used inFIG. 8B in the various stages of play where applicable.

A hand 850A of five cards 851, 852, 853, 854, 855 is presented in theillustrated embodiment, although other numbers of cards could bepresented. The example shows that the five cards 851-855 of hand 850Ainclude card 851 which is the King of Hearts, as noted by the King value861 and the Heart suit 866. Similarly, card 852 of hand 850A includesthe Seven 862 of Hearts 867, card 853 includes the Ace 863 of Hearts868, card 854 includes the Ace 864 of Clubs 869, and card 855 includesthe King 865 of Spades 870.

Referring to hand state 850B, it can be seen that various cardcharacteristics have been held. Particularly, the card values King 861,Ace 863, Ace 864 and King 865 of the respective cards 851, 853, 854 and855 have been held. The held cards are depicted as highlighted in FIG.8B. Additionally, card suits 866, 867 and 868 of the respective cards851-853 have been held. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the cardcharacteristics identified for discarding and replacement are card value862 of card 852, and suits 869 and 870 of cards 854, 855 respectively.As can be seen, the player has held the two pair (Kings 861/865 and Aces863/864), while discarding other card characteristics s in the hopes ofdrawing to either a full house or a flush.

Hand state 850C shows the cards 851-855 after the discarded cardcharacteristics (Seven 862, Club 869 and Spade 870) have been replaced.As can be seen, the replacement values are the King 871 in card 852, theDiamond 872 in card 854, and the Club 873 in card 855. The resultinghand 850C has resulted in a full house of Kings 861, 871, 865 over Aces863, 864. Thus, the embodiment of FIG. 8B involves a five-card initialhand of draw poker where the player receives two pair on the deal, istwo cards to a flush, and one card to a full house. The feature ofenabling selective holding/discarding of discrete card characteristicsenables the player to lock up any desired cards (e.g., the two pair),while still drawing to one or more other possible outcomes such as afull house or a flush. As can be seen, the features described hereinenable holding of any cards to preserve, or increase or otherwise changethe chances of, a winning outcome.

It is noted that in the example of FIG. 8B the player did notadditionally or alternatively receive a flush outcome in response to thedraw to new suits 872, 873. In one embodiment, duplicate cards are notallowed; e.g., the Ace of Hearts cannot be provided twice in the sameresulting hand. In other embodiments, such duplicates are allowed in theresulting hand as a result of the card characteristics draw.

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 8B, if duplicates are allowed,the player could obtain both a full house and a flush. This is becausemultiple card values having the same suit would be required to obtainboth a resulting hand based on matching card values (e.g., pair, twopair, three-of-a-kind, full house, four-of-a-kind, etc.), and aresulting hand based on matching suits (e.g., flush, straight flush,royal flush, etc.).

If duplicates are not allowed as in some embodiments, the player couldobtain only one of the full house or flush outcomes. For example, rulescan be provided to enable a processor or other controller to prohibitproviding replacement cards that will result in duplicate cards. As amore particular example, if the King 861 of Hearts 866 in hand state850B were both held, the processor or other controller would not allow aKing 871 to be the replacement rank at card 852 of hand 850C, since Card851 of hand 850C is already a King of Hearts.

The embodiments of FIGS. 6, 7, 8A and 8B assumes a draw poker embodimentin an electronic embodiment played on a video poker machine or othercomputer-implemented apparatus, and therefore it is assumed the cardsare “dealt” by presenting the cards via a display screen.

The features described herein may be used in connection with slotmachines, computing devices and/or other gaming devices. FIG. 9illustrates a representative embodiment of a casino-style gaming devicein which the principles described herein may be applied. For purposes ofexplanation, the description of the gaming device is FIG. 9 is providedin terms of a kiosk, slot machine, or video poker machine 900. However,the present invention is analogously applicable to other computer-basedsystems.

The illustrated gaming machine 900 includes a computing system (notshown) to carry out operations according to the disclosure. Theillustrated gaming machine 900 includes a display 902, and a userinterface 904, although some or all of the user interface may beprovided via the display 902 in touch screen embodiments. The userinterface 904 allows the user to control and engage in play of thegaming machine 900. The particular user interface mechanisms associatedwith user interface 904 is dependent on the type of gaming machine. Forexample, the user interface 904 may include one or more buttons,switches, joysticks, levers, pull-down handles, trackballs,voice-activated input, or any other user input system or mechanism thatallows the user to play the particular gaming activity.

The user interface 904 may allow the user to enter coins, bills, orotherwise obtain credits through vouchers, tokens, credit cards,tickets, etc. Various mechanisms for entering such vouchers, tokens,credit cards, coins, tickets, etc. are known in the art. For example,coin/token input mechanisms, card readers, credit card readers, smartcard readers, punch card readers, and other mechanisms may be used toenter wagers. It is through the user interface 904 that the user caninitiate and engage in an electronic poker activity as described herein.For example, the player can use the user interface 904 and/or touchscreen inputs to indicate the number of hands to play 906, place wagers908, make gaming decisions (e.g., bet max) 910 or place side bets 912that will otherwise make the player eligible for such features, etc. Theuser interface 904 may also enable the user to identify which cardcharacteristics will be held/discarded for the cards in play, asdepicted by user interface block 914. While the illustrated embodimentdepicts various buttons for the user interface 904, it should berecognized that a wide variety of user interface options may be used,including pressing buttons, touching a segment of a touch-screen,entering text, entering voice commands, or other known user entrymethodology.

As noted above, touch screen technology may be used to enable the playerto identify card characteristics (e.g., card value, card suit, etc.) andperform other actions in connection with the games. The desired cardcharacteristics in cards of a hand 920 may, in addition to or in lieu ofusing the user interface 904, be identified for holding or discarding bytouching an area of the display 902, such as touching 922 proximate theparticular card characteristic 924 and/or other designated areas 926.

The display device 902 may include one or more of an electronic display,a mechanical display, and fixed display information such as paytableinformation associated with a glass/plastic panel 928. A display segmentor panel 930 may also be provided to present information such as theaccumulated credits, current bet amount such as “10” credits (wherecredits may represent, for example, coins, tokens, dollars, etc.), thenumber of hands played, total bet, the number of credits paid out or“won” on a particular play, etc. A wager acceptor 932 is operative toreceive wager tokens, coins, bills, credit/debit cards, coupons, smartcards, prepaid casino cards, electronic fund transfer (EFT), tickets,and the like.

In the illustrated embodiment, the user is shown to play a draw pokerhand 920, where the player is selecting the card characteristic 924 of aSpade to hold in the card 934. The card characteristic 924 may behighlighted or otherwise indicated as a held (or alternativelydiscarded) card characteristic. In a single hand game as shown, anydiscarded card characteristics will be replaced. Embodiments alsoinclude enabling the player to concurrently play multiple hands, whetherdealt initially, created through replication of held cardcharacteristics, etc. For example, where created through replication,any held card characteristics may be replicated into other correspondingcards of one or more additional hands. These other hands would alsoreceive replacement card characteristics.

An example of a multi-hand game employing features described herein isillustrated in FIG. 10. Assume a first hand 1000 is dealt, includingcards 1001-1005. The player may opt to hold all card characteristicsexcept for the Eight 1006, which is thus discarded. The held cardcharacteristics are replicated into one or more other hands, such ashands 1010 and 1020 including cards 1011-1015 and 1021-1025respectively. Each of the hands 1000, 1010, 1020 then receivesreplacement card characteristics for those card characteristics thatwere not held, such as shown at card characteristic locations 1006, 1016and 1026. In this manner, held card characteristics are replicated intoone or more other playable hands in an attempt to increase the chancesof obtaining a winning payout and/or increase the chances of obtaining ahigher paying award.

Returning to FIG. 9, the device 900 may be programmed to facilitatethese and other embodiments. The features described herein may beimplemented as a casino gaming machine such as a video poker machine orother special purpose gaming kiosk as described in FIG. 9, or may beimplemented via computing systems operating under the direction of localgaming software, and/or remotely-provided software such as provided byan application service provider (ASP). The casino gaming machine mayutilize a computing system to control and manage the gaming activity. Anexample of a representative computing system capable of carrying outoperations in accordance with the disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 11.

Hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof may be used toperform the various gaming functions, display presentations andoperations described herein. The functional modules in accordance withthe disclosure may reside in a gaming machine as described, or mayalternatively reside on a stand-alone or networked computingdevice/system. The computing structure 1100 of FIG. 11 is an exemplarycomputing structure that can be used in connection with such electronicgaming machines, computers, or other computer-implemented devices tocarry out operations described herein. It should be noted that therepresentative computing structure of FIG. 9 or analogous computingstructure may be used on a local computer, kiosk, server, or any otherdevice providing or serving the gaming functions. It should also benoted that the computing arrangement of FIG. 11 may be distributedacross multiple devices (e.g., processing components at a server, anddisplay and user interface components at a local gaming machine, etc.).

The example computing arrangement 1100 suitable for performing thegaming functions according to the disclosure typically includes acentral processor (CPU) 1102 coupled to random access memory (RAM) 1104and some variation of read-only memory (ROM) 1106. The ROM 1106 may alsorepresent other types of storage media to store programs, such asprogrammable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), etc. The processor 1102may communicate with other internal and external components throughinput/output (I/O) circuitry 1108 and bussing 1110, to provide controlsignals, communication signals, and the like.

Chance-based gaming systems such as video poker machines, in which thepresent disclosure is applicable, may be governed by random numbers andprocessors. A display device 1111 is used to display the gaming activityas facilitated by one or more random number generators (RNG). RNGs areknown in the art, and may be implemented using hardware, softwareoperable in connection with the processor 1102, or some combination ofhardware and software. Any known RNG may be used, and may be integrallyprogrammed as part of the processor 1102 operation, or alternatively maybe a separate RNG controller 1140.

The computing arrangement 1100 may also include one or more data storagedevices, including hard and floppy disk drives 1112, CD-ROM drives 1114,and other hardware capable of reading and/or storing information such asDVD, FLASH drives, etc. In one embodiment, software for carrying outoperations in accordance with the disclosure may be stored anddistributed on a CD-ROM 1116, diskette 1118, DVD, FLASH device or otherform of media capable of portably storing information. These storagemedia may be inserted into, and read by, devices such as the CD-ROMdrive 1114, the disk drive 1112, etc. The software may also betransmitted to the computing arrangement 1100 via data signals, such asbeing downloaded electronically via a network, such as the Internet.Further, as previously described, software for carrying out functionsassociated with the present disclosure may alternatively be stored ininternal memory/storage of the computing device 1100, such as in the ROM1106 or other storage.

The computing arrangement 1100 may be coupled to the display 1111, whichrepresents a display on which the gaming activities may be presented.The display 1111 may be any type of known display or presentationscreen, such as LCD displays, plasma display, cathode ray tubes (CRT),etc. Where the computing device 1100 represents a stand-alone ornetworked computer, the display 1111 may represent a standard computerterminal or display capable of displaying multiple windows, frames, etc.Where the computing device is embedded within an electronic gamingmachine (see FIG. 9), the display 1111 corresponds to the display screenof the gaming machine/kiosk. A user input interface 1122 such as amouse, buttons, keyboard/keypad, microphone, touch pad, trackball,joystick, touch screen, voice-recognition system, etc. may be provided.

The computing arrangement 1100 may be connected to other computingdevices or gaming machines, such as via a network. The computingarrangement 1100 may be connected to a network server 1128 in anintranet or local network configuration. The computer may further bepart of a larger network configuration as in a global area network (GAN)such as the Internet. In such a case, the computer may access one ormore web servers 1130 via the network/Internet 1132.

Other components directed to gaming machine implementations includemanners of gaming participant payment, and gaming machine payout. Forexample, a gaming machine including the computing arrangement 1100 mayalso include a hopper controller 1142 to determine the amount of payoutto be provided to the participant. The hopper controller may beintegrally implemented with the processor 1102, or alternatively as aseparate hopper controller 1142. A hopper 1144 may also be provided ingaming machine embodiments, where the hopper serves as the mechanismholding the coins/tokens of the machine. The wager input module 1146represents any mechanism for accepting coins, tokens, coupons, bills,electronic fund transfer (EFT), tickets, credit cards, smart cards,membership cards, etc., for which a participant inputs a wager amount.

Additionally, the computing arrangement 1100 may include a transmitter(TX) 1150, and may include a receiver (RX) 1152. These TX 1150 and RX1152 components may be discrete components, or aggregated such as in thecase of a transceiver. The receiver function provided by the RX 1152 canbe configured to receive information from any type of network, such as alocal area network (LAN), wireless LAN (e.g., 802.11 a/b/g/n), wirednetwork (e.g., Internet), wireless network (e.g., Global System forMobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service (GSM/GPRS), proximitynetworks (e.g., Bluetooth, peer-to-peer networks), and/or otherwired/wireless network technologies. For example, the RX 1152 mayreceive programming and/or operational information from a server 1128 or1130 where the system is server-based. Any such server may includecomputing components analogous to those depicted in FIG. 11. Informationsuch as wager information or other data used by a server can be providedto the appropriate server 1128, 1130 or other device or network entityvia the TX 1150. It should also be recognized that the computingarrangement 1100 of FIG. 11 may be implemented in a gaming apparatus, orin a server or other network entity.

The operational principles described herein may be played in connectionwith electronic embodiments, or in live table games. In live tablegames, the deck(s) of cards may include identifiable cardcharacteristics, or other items, circuits, or the like may be used toidentify the values, suits and/or other card characteristics to beheld/discarded by the player.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments has beenpresented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to precise formsthat are disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teaching. For example, the present disclosure isequally applicable in electronic or mechanical gaming machines, and isalso applicable to live table versions of gaming activities that arecapable of being played in a table version (e.g., slot machinesinvolving poker or card games that could be played via table games).

1. A method comprising: presenting a hand of a plurality of cards on a display, wherein each of the cards has a card value and a card suit; facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in each of the cards via a user interface; replacing the card values for any of the card values not held, and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held; and presenting via the display a resulting hand of the cards that includes the held and replaced card values and card suits.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a plurality of the hands, wherein each of the cards in each of the plurality of the hands has a card value and a card suit, and wherein: facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits comprises facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in each of the cards of each of the plurality of hands; replacing the card values for any of the card values not held and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held comprises replacing the card values and card suits for any of the card hands and suits not held in each of the cards of each of the plurality of hands; and presenting a resulting hand of the cards comprises presenting a plurality of the resulting hands of the cards, each of which includes the held and replaced card values and card suits for the respective resulting hand.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in the hand of cards comprises enabling user selection of the card values and the card suits in which to retain and not replace.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in the hand of cards comprises enabling user selection of the card values and the card suits in which to replace and not retain.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting a hand of a plurality of cards comprises presenting a five-card hand.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting a hand of a plurality of cards comprises presenting an initial number of cards greater than five cards, and wherein presenting a resulting hand of the cards comprises presenting the resulting hand using five of the cards of the initial number of cards that create the highest poker rank after the replacement any of the card values and card suits.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the card values for any of the card values not held and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held comprises replacing the card values and/or card suits such that no resulting cards of the resulting hand are duplicates.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the card values for any of the card values not held and replacing the card suits for any of the card suits not held comprises replacing the card values and/or card suits such that one or more of the resulting cards of the resulting hand are duplicates as a result of the replacement.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the presented hand meets at least one defined criteria; and enabling the user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in response to the presented hand meeting the at least one defined criteria.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating user identification comprises determining, based on defined play rules, which of the card values and card suits to hold on behalf of the user.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a paytable of poker ranks, and providing a payout for the resulting hand based on which of the poker ranks in the paytable correspond to the resulting hand.
 12. An apparatus comprising: a display configured to present at least one initial hand of a plurality of cards, wherein each of the cards has a card value and a card suit; a user interface configured to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain for each of the plurality of cards in the at least one initial hand; a processor configured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits that are not retained; and wherein the display is further configured to present at least one resulting hand for each of the at least one initial hands that includes the retained card values, the retained card suits, the replacement card values and the replacement card suits.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen configured to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain by touching the display proximate the card values and the card suits in which to retain.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen configured to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain by touching the display proximate the card values and the card suits that are to be replaced.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the processor is further configured to replicate the retained card values and retained card suits into one or more additional hands presented on the display, and to additionally replace the card values and the card suits for cards of the additional one or more additional hands presented on the display; and the display is further configured to present a plurality of resulting hands corresponding to the at least one initial hand and the one or more additional hands, wherein the cards in each of the plurality of resulting hands includes the retained and replaced card values and card suits.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the display is configured to present the at least one initial hand having an initial number of cards greater than five, and wherein the processor is further configured to identify the at least one resulting hand using five of the cards of the initial number of cards that yield a highest poker rank attainable on a paytable after replacement of any of the card values and card suits.
 17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits that are not retained by providing resulting cards that conform to a standard fifty-two card virtual deck of cards without duplication.
 18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to provide replacement card values and replacement card suits for any of the card values and card suits that are not retained by providing resulting cards that conform to cards of a standard fifty-two card virtual deck of cards while allowing duplication of the resulting cards.
 19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the at least one initial hand meets at least one defined criteria, and to enable the user interface to facilitate player designation of the card values and the card suits in which to retain for each of the plurality of cards in the at least one initial hand in response to the initial hand meeting the at least one defined criteria.
 20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to utilize play rules to determine which of the card values and card suits to automatically retain on behalf of the player.
 21. A method comprising: presenting an initial hand of cards having a plurality of cards on a display, wherein each of the cards has a card value and a card suit; facilitating user identification of the card values and the card suits in which to hold in the initial hand of cards; replicating the held card values and held card suits into one or more additional hands presented on the display; replacing the card values for any of the card values and card suits that are not held for the initial hand and the one or more additional hands; and presenting via the display resulting hands of the cards corresponding to the initial hand and each of the one or more additional hands, wherein the cards in each of the resulting hands includes the held and replaced card values and card suits.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein replacing the card values and the card suits comprises replacing the card values and the card suits for each corresponding card in the hand and in each of the one or more additional hands with like card values and card suits.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein replacing the card values and the card suits comprises replacing the card values and the card suits for each corresponding card in the hand and in each of the one or more additional hands with different card values and card suits. 